Many factors may affect the proper meshing between gears in an overhead camshaft engine drive train. For example, normal engine operation may cause compression of the cylinder head gasket and maintenance disturbances may necessitate the replacement or milling of the cylinder head. It is known in the art that backlash adjustment mechanisms for gearing systems are useful so that backlash settings between gears may be changed to accommodate for normal operation, wear, and maintenance disturbances that affect the proper meshing of the drive train gears.
Backlash adjustment methods are known which mount an idler gear on an adjustable bracket to provide adjustment control between its mating gears. This method accomplishes adjustment, but makes it necessary to position the center distances between the idler and both its mating gears before securing the idler into place.
Another backlash adjustment method improves upon the positioning problem, set forth above, through the backlash adjustment being made only between the idler gear and one of its mating gears while eliminating the need for adjustment between the idler gear and the other of its mating gears. This is accomplished through the use of a connector of fixed length. With the idler gear mounted on an adjustment bracket, the connector is attached to the idler gear and one mating gear establishing a fixed center distance between the two gears. Backlash adjustment can then be made between the idler gear and the other mating gear without affecting this fixed center distance provided by the connector. This backlash adjustment method requires the use of both the connector and the adjustment bracket. The backlash adjustment method further requires complicated machining of standard parts in order to mount and thereby utilize the invention.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.